It is not too late to help legumes overwinter. In a summary of soil samples in an Eastern NY county, (Graph # 1) shows that 55% of the fields soil tested, would NOT respond to more potassium fertilizer. Many of these fields are corn fields with manure as 30 tons applies over 250 lbs of potash/acre.
Newsletter
A free newsletter available from this web site. It is a continuation of 34 years hardcopy of this newsletter. The newsletter is focused on research and management for dairy and field crop in the Northeast in the continually changing economic and weather conditions farms successfully operate under. The latest research and cutting edge forage concepts are discussed. To subscribe send email to:
August, 2010 / New Cut Length for Corn
The range of weather conditions from wet to dry has left a wide range of corn maturities. Some sat for 3 weeks waiting for rain before growing. Others had adequate moisture and are maturing early. If you have been in the wetter area, start checking when the corn reaches ½ milk line. For the drier areas, check when 1/4 milk line.
July, 2010 / Double Crop for Forage Better than BMR Corn
Most farms look at maximizing yield by growing the longest season corn possible. Data presented in the November 2009 Crop Soil News showed that there often isn’t a significant yield difference between very long and moderate full season (eg 110 and 95 day corn) grown properly. Longer means in increasing risk from weather as full season may not have enough summer to properly mature (2009) or get caught with increasingly wet soils September into October (2006). This year looks like not only will it mature, but possibly be early.
June, 2010 / Sidedress for Maximum Economic Return
The warmer and drier than normal May has been a benefit in that it allowed farms to get their corn in quickly and for most, to harvest some of the highest quality haylage we have seen in some time. A second benefit of the warm and drier conditions is that it maximizes the release and availability of soil & sod nitrogen, and manure nitrogen for the crop, while minimizing losses so far from excess rainfall. Unfortunately some areas have already moved into the excess rainfall scenario.
May, 2010 / Same Day Haylage Update
The weather of May has been perfect for producing forages of very high digestibility. The sunny days produce lots of highly digestible sugar and starch with very cold nights limiting the respiration losses of that energy. The table at right can be used to determine where your forages are for harvest. If you are still planting corn, STOP. Your losses in haylage quality (and the increased cost of grain to maintain production) are greater than the small yield loss in corn.
February, 2010 / Aeration Tillage Part II, Control odor & save $50/acre
In the last issue we discussed the use of aeration tillage for rapid establishment of new legume seedings. It is also used to prepare the soil for conventional drilling small grains. Where interest has really taken off is its use to capture more of the nitrogen in the manure without subsequent soil erosion while simultaneously dramatically reducing the smell effect that has neighbors up in arms.
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January, 2010 / Aeration: The Un-Tillage
Aerators were originally designed for improving the air/soil interface of lawns and golf courses. In other countries they developed heavier units to aerate pastures that were compacted from grazing. They have had sporadic use here in the Northeast. There are two basic similar designs with differences in how the blade is designed and enters the soil. Most units have replaced the solid iron holding the shaft (picture at
right) with a heavy “C” shaped spring, to cushion the impacts with rocks.